cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Legalization Foes Replace Spokesman





Marijuana Legalization Foes Replace Spokesman
Posted by CN Staff on October 09, 2002 at 14:38:09 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Las Vegas Sun 
The chief spokesman for law enforcement groups opposing Nevada's marijuana legalization ballot question has been replaced after alleging a drug cartel link to the legalization effort. Clark County Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker was replaced by Las Vegas Metro Police Sgt. Rick Barela. Barela said Tuesday there was a need to make one person the source of information about organized opposition to Question 9.
Now a public information officer, Barela was a patrol officer and handled marijuana cases. Booker claimed at a state Board of Health meeting on Friday that a man with ties to South American drug cartels was financing Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement. The organization, headed by Billy Rogers, is campaigning for passage of Question 9, which would amend the state Constitution and let adult Nevadans possess 3 ounces or less of marijuana in their homes. Rogers demanded an apology from Booker, saying the group never would take donations from anyone associated with a drug cartel. Rogers also sought an apology from Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, who said the source of the drug cartel information was a publication owned by perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche. Neal said he believed the publication to be credible. A LaRouche newsletter said billionaire investor George Soros had backed movements in South America that aided the drug suppliers and also donated to the Marijuana Policy Project, the parent organization of Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement. Rogers said he felt vindicated by Booker being removed as a spokesman. "We hope this means the opposition will start dealing with the truth," said Rogers. He pointed to the 110,000 signatures gathered to put the Question 9 on the ballot, and said the measure would let "responsible adults," possess marijuana only "in the privacy of their home or under the care of a doctor." A recent Las Vegas Review-Journal poll showed 55 percent of residents oppose the legal marijuana proposal, while 40 percent back it and 5 percent are undecided. The question needs voter approval Nov. 5 and in 2004 before Nevadans could possess marijuana, which is illegal under federal law. The state Board of Health voted unanimously last week to oppose legal marijuana. Dr. Joey Villaflor, chairman of the board, said he feared more children would gain access to marijuana if it were legal for parents to possess the drug. Complete Title: Nevada Marijuana Legalization Foes Replace SpokesmanSource: Las Vegas Sun (NV)Published:  October 09, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Sun, Inc.Contact: letters lasvegassun.comWebsite: http://www.lasvegassun.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Legalizing Pot: Opponents Replace Spokesmanhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14392.shtmlQuestion 9 Supporters Demand Neal Apologyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14384.shtmlHealth Board Opposes Ballot Question http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14362.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 10, 2002 at 12:36:06 PT
Last Poll Results Taken
The petition effort that placed the initiative on the ballot garnered more than 109,000 signatures or nearly double the required number. A September 26 poll by the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas showed a majority of voters supporting the measure, with 55 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed. From This Article: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread14353.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by freddybigbee on October 10, 2002 at 12:31:22 PT:
Polls
"A recent Las Vegas Review-Journal poll showed 55 percent of residents oppose the legal marijuana proposal, while 40 percent back it and 5 percent are undecided."I guess there's a 15% fudge factor in these polls. I'd heard the 55% was in support of the proposal.Projecting overwhelming victory and proclaiming the desired results of a vote as a done-deal are classic propaganda tactics, on par with accusing your opponents of the very thing you are guilty of. What a web of lies public discourse has become. Babylon, as a rastafarian musician I met refers to "mainstream" America.
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Comment #3 posted by malleus on October 10, 2002 at 05:20:01 PT
The liar is gone, but the lies remain
This latest incident with Mr. Booker shows where the 'antis' weak spots are. The fact that they remain unrepentant after being caught with depending upon information from a crackpot for their 'intelligence' (I'm laughing my butt off even without benefit of weed; it's just too Kafkaesque!) just adds ammunition to our stockpile. The 'antis' MUST be hammered with this at every turn. The public must NOT be allowed to forget that these were closet LaRouchies trying to ram their ideas down everybody's throats under cover of acting as public officials. Anyone not living under a rock these last 20 years knows how wacko his organization is. Right up there with Moon's Unification Church and the Heaven's Gate suicide pact people. Loons. Normally, you could laugh at their nonsense, but these people are using LaRouche's agenda to justify their opposition. These 'antis' need to be hounded day and night for this.
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Comment #2 posted by legalizeit on October 09, 2002 at 17:06:38 PT
Heh heh
Poor little Booker... finally his lying has come around and bit him on his weasely hiney!!Hopefully this Barela character will blab something equally insulting and get himself in trouble as well.If anything, this escapade has put in plain view of the electorate what a bunch of lying, Hitler-Heiling buffoons the antis are.I would honestly like to know who in his right mind would think that an organization vying for legalization would be involved in any way with cartels? Legalization is the last thing cartels would want!! The antis will say anything to get the Sheeple to follow them. For once, their practice has backfired, BIG TIME!Hopefully the next time we'll see Booker is on a Larry H. Parker commercial! :) 
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Comment #1 posted by phriedphish on October 09, 2002 at 15:39:50 PT
Finally....something actually is being done
Well...it seems that public officials actually might have to speak the TRUTH for now on when dealing with the public. This sets a menacing precedent, what if all public servants had to tell the truth when speaking? What if Asa Hutchinson actually had to say that marijuana could be used as a medicine? What if George Bush had to say that he was a cokehead? This could be disturbing to say the least....
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